GUILTY PLEA IN 2006 CALUMET TOWNSHIP COLD CASE

Tuesday, Febuary 02, 2010 — An Arizona man plead guilty to running down his father with his car in July of 2006, according to the office of Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart

Robert Falls, Jr., 31, of Phoenix, Arizona plead guilty Friday to second degree murder and was sentenced to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Falls, Jr., formerly of Merrillville, Indiana, was originally charged with one count of first degree murder in connection with an incident in a Cook County Forest Preserve in Calumet Township in July, 2006. At that time, Falls, Jr. had a family disagreement with his father, Robert Falls Sr. Falls Jr. and his father, Falls Sr., met at 154th and Campbell Avenue to talk about the issue.

Four days later, the body of Robert Falls Sr. was discovered in the Clay Hole Woods Forest Preserve. A short time after his father’s body was discovered, Falls Jr. moved out of state. Police believe Falls Jr. allegedly led his father to the forest preserve then repeatedly hit him with the 2002 Ford Explorer SUV he was driving.

The case sat cold for more than a year until Sheriff’s Police learned Falls Jr. was living and working in Phoenix, Arizona. With the help of Phoenix Police Cold Case officers, officers from both departments took Falls Jr. into custody in December of 2008 at his Phoenix home. He was returned to Chicago after waiving extradition. He had remained in the Cook County Jail on $1 million bond. Falls Jr. is now in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.